Hook-equipped fabric structure for garments and method of producing same

ABSTRACT

A HOOK-EQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS INCLUDING BRASSIERES AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME, WHEREIN A HOOK INTERPOSED BETWEEN SUPERIMPOSED FBRIC BODIES IS PROVIDED AT ITS CLOSED END PORTION WITH MEANS DEFINING AN OPENING, THE AXIS OF WHICH LIES SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID CONFRONTING FABRIC BODIES, WITH SAID SUPERIMPOSED FABRIC BODIES BEING THEREAFTER LAMINATED FIRMLY TOGETHER BY RESINOUS MATERIAL, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID LAMINATED FABRIC BODIES BEING DEFORMED COMPLEMENTALLY TO THE CONFIGURATION OF ONE SIDE PORTION OF THE HOOK, THEREBY FIRMLY ATTACHING THE HOOK TO THE FABRIC BODIES.

i & v1971 TAKASHI SAKAMOTO BMWM HOOK'EQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME I Filed April 1. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY April 0, 1971 TAKASHI SAKAMOTO 3,575,75@

' Filed April 1.196s

HOOK-EQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lTb April 1971 TAKASHI SAKAMOTO 3,575,750

HOOK-EQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed April .1. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Apri 20, 11971 TAKASHI SAKAMOTO 3,5757% HOOKEQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR GARMENTS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING $AME Filed April 1, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR United States Patent ()1 ifice 3,575,750 HOOK-EQUIPPED FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR SGAALI Eg IENTS AND METHOD OF PRODUCING Takashi Sakamoto, Osaka, Japan, assignor to Sakamoto Hook Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka-shi, Japan Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,758 Claims priority, applligagion 2gapan, Apr. 1, 1967,

Int. Cl. A41h 37 b0; A44b 19/04 US. Cl. 156-66 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Fastener hooks for brassieres are normally attached to an end portion of an elastic tape-like fabric body and structures of the prior art are designed in such a manner that the free end or attaching portion of the hook is interposed between two fabric bodies and thereafter sewn together, thereby attaching said hook to the elastic tape or fabric.

It is also known that sewing of hooks to the tape is not satisfactory because, as a result of movements of the human body and the consequent high shearing loads that are placed on the threads surrounding the hooks, they are often broken. There is a further disadvantage with sewing; it is practically impossible to conform the fabric bodies in face-to-face relation at locations closely adjacent to the body of the hook-attaching portions and then sew them together.

Further, to use thread as a means by which the hooks are attached to the tape cannot only be unsightly but also annoying to the body of the wearer of the garment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the principal object of the invention, superimposed fabric bodies with a hook means having a shouldered portion is interposed between the bodies and then bound together in a predetermined area adjacent the shoulders by means of a molten synthetic film or other binding material and together with suitable heat and pressure causing at least one of the fabric bodies to be deformed to the configuration of the shouldered portion and permanently maintained by said binding material permeating and solidifying around the shoulders of the hook and the fabric body texture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a more rigid structure which prevents high shear loads from pulling the hooks from between the laminated fabric.

3,575,750 Patented Apr. 20, 1971 A still further object of the invention is to provide a method by which shouldered hooks, including an attaching loop, are first positioned in rows between adjacent sheets of resinous film and strips of fabric which upon being later subjected to heat and pressure are caused to tightly confine the shouldered portions of the hooks therebetween and prevent their removal from the fabric by reason of the permeation of the fabric by the re-solidified resin.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mold structure for applying heat and pressure to the aforedescribed laminated fabric strips to secure them around the shouldered portions of the hooks so that the finished article is provided on at least one surface with a smooth face that can later be brought into contact with and worn on an uncovered portion of the body of an individual without any disturbing sensations.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method by means of which the pliability of the fabric is retained and which does not become unduly stiff subsequent to solidification of the binding layer.

Another and further object of the invention is to provide a method by which superimposed layers of fabric between which is positioned a hook can be caused to adhere to each other by applying the resin film to the outer surface of the laminated sheets whereupon it will permeate inwardly into the fabric.

Other objects and advantages will become readily apparent from a study of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view in detail showing a method of production according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, of an assembly of elements showing a condition prior to applying heat and pressure;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, of an assembly during the application of heat and pressure;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, of a completed assembly;

FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view showing one method of binding an additional fabric body to an adjacent surface;

FIG. 6 is still another perspective view of one side of the finished product shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an end portion of the completed assembly secured to an elastic tape;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, showing still another method of binding;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, showing a method of attachment for male hooks; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view, partially in elevation and partially in longitudinal section, showing still a further method of attachment for male hooks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention will be described in detail as applied 3 to the attachment of two-element, two-row gang hooks for brassieres.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a thin polyethylene film tape 14 is placed on one surface 12 of a thick fluffy flannel tape 11 with a suitable area 13 being exposed on one lateral edge of the tape 11. The tape 14 is fixed to the flannel tape 11 at suitable locations in the manner shown at 15 as by heated rollers over the surface of which is provided spaced embossments. A wire is bent into a predetermined configuration as at 16 so as to provide at least two female hook portions 17a and 17b. The free ends 16a and 16b of said wire 16 are laterally outwardly bent and folded inwardly toward each other to constitute a unitary hook portion 17 having an attaching portion 17e which merges with two stepped portions or shoulders 17c and 17d which extend in the pull-out direction of the hook during use. The hooks 17 are positioned at suitable intervals in the direction of the tape length in such a manner that the hook portion 17a and 17b lie on the exposed portion 12a of the flannel tape adjacent the polyethylene film tape 14 with the aforesaid bent shoulder portion overlying the polyethylene tape 14. One lateral side of a thin smooth-surfaced cotton broadcloth tape 18 is folded upon itself as at 18b to provide folded piece 182: and a polyethylene film tape 19 is inserted between the folds of the tape 18 and secured thereto at suitable intervals in the manner shown at 20, i.e. by means of a heated roller provided with an embossed perimeter. The cotton broadcloth tape 18: is applied in such a manner that the folded edge portion 18b is in longitudinal alignment with edge 14a of the polyethylene film tape and the polyethylene tape 19 overlies the stepped portions or shoulders 17c and 17d of the tape 17. As best shown in FIG. 3, this assembly of the flannel tape 11 and the cotton broadcloth 18. are then heated and suitably pressed in upper and lower molds 21 and 22. As shown, the lower mold 21 is provided with an undulatory surface including raised portions 21a in order that the flannel tape 11, which later will become the inner side, may cover the portion of the wire 16 forming the attaching portion 17e (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the hook 17, while the upper mold 22 has a planar surface.

If both tapes 11 and 18 holding the attaching portion 17e of the hook are pressed in a pair of such molds 21 and 22, as best shown in FIG. 3, the flannel tape 11 and the polyethylene tape 14 fixed thereto are deformed along the wire 16 at the attaching portion 17e and are pressed against the polyethylene film tape 19 fixed to the cotton broadcloth tape 18. Of course, at locations where no attaching portion 17a is held therebetween, the pposed polyethylene tapes 14 and 19 are pressed against each other.

In this condition, by applying sufficiently high heat from the pair of molds 21 and 22 to melt the polyethylene film tapes 14 and 19, the two tapes are melted and united to form a binding layer 23 at the mutually opposed surface portions thereof as shown in FIG. 4. It will be also understood that at portions abutting against the folded piece 18a of the cotton broadcloth tape 18 and the flannel tape 11, the film tapes penetrate into these fabric textures and are thus united, and at portions abutting against the wire 16 at the attaching portion 17e of the hook 17 they are intimately adhered to the surface of the wire 16. As these molten polyethylene film tapes 14 and 19 solidify, the flannel tape 11, which is sinuously deformed along the Wire 16 at the attaching portion 17e of the hook, is set in its thus deformed condition. With such an assembly, it Will be apparent that, with no space left allowing the retained wire 16 to move in any direction, high external forces acting on the hook 17 in the pull-out direction will be successfully overcome. Should the hooks tend to move in the pull-out direction, such movement is prevented particularly by the deformation 11a of the flannel tape 11,

4 so that there is no possibility that the wire 16 can wedge itself into the preformed binding layer 23. With such an arrangement it is practically impossible to cause the delamination of the binding layer 23. In this manner the hook is firmly held.

As shown in FIG. 5, either simultaneously with the setting of an upper row of hooks 24 or after the fixing thereof, a lower row of books 25' may also be affixed, as described. This method may be the same as that of fixing the upper row of hooks, but it is necessary that, as shown in FIG. 1, the female hook portions 17a and 17b of the hook 17 lie on the cotton broadcloth 18 and that the attaching portion 172 lie on the polyethylene film tape 14. In FIG. 1, the reference numeral 26 designates a cotton broadcloth tape covering the lower row of hooks 25. One lateral side of the tape 26 is folded upon itself to provide folded piece 26a and a polyethylene film tape 28 is put onto the exposed surface of the folded piece 26a and secured thereto at suitable intervals as at 27. When heated and pressed together, the broadcloth tape 26 and the flannel tape 11 are bound together by means of the polyethylene film tapes 28 and 14 for holding the hooks 25 in the lower row.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the hook-equipped fabric structure thus produced, the cotton broadcloth tape 18 serving as the front side is substantially smooth, but the flannel tape 11 serving as the back side has an irregular surface portion indicated as 29 having the configuration of the wire of the attaching portion 17s of the hook 17. Therefore, if it is used in this condition, the irregular surface portion 29 will make contact with the body of the wearer of the brassiere equipped with this book assembly, thus giving an unpleasant feeling to the wearer. Obviously, the market value of such a product would be diminished. Thus, to improve the finished product, and as shown in FIG. 5, an additional flannel tape 30 of substantially the same width as the flannel tape 11 having a polyethylene tape 31 fixed temporarily thereto at suitable locations v32 by pressing and heating is applied in such a manner that the polyethylene tape 31 is in contact with the back surface 11b of the flannel tape 11, and both are then pressed and heated to melt the polyethylene tape 31 thereby binding both flannel tapes 11 and 30 together. Consequently, as now shown in FIG. 6, although the structure is provided with upper and lower rows as at 33 which are slightly embossed and project from back surface 34 of the flannel take 30, the fine irregularities are no longer present, so that the feel is improved and the market value is increased.

In addition, upon completion of backing with the flannel tape 30, as shown in FIG. 5, the hook-equipped fabric 40 is cut transversely along dot-dash lines 39, whereby unit hook-equipped fabric structures 41 having parallel upper and lower rows of hooks 17a and 1711 are obtained as best shown in FIG. 7.

In the case of backing with the flannel tape 30, the whole may be bound together except for a lip portion 35 suitably spaced from the lower end which is left unadhered, as shown in FIG. 6, so that a free end portion of an elastic or rubber tape 36 can be interposed between the lips 35 and the flannel tape 11 and fixed in position as shown in FIG. 7. In this case, if a polyethylene tape 37, slightly wider than said unattached portion 35, is placed on the unfastened lip portion 35 and interposed between the polyethylene film tape 31 and the flannel tape 11 and the upper end portion 37a of the polyethylene tape 37 is slightly melted at the time of binding to thereby secure it between both flannel tapes 11 and 30, it is possible to firmly bind the rubber tape 36 which is interposed between the polyethylene tapes 37 and 31 by suitably pressing and heating in spaced parallel areas 38.

It is also conceivable that the polyethylene film tape 37 may be temporarily fixed to the flannel tape 11 prior to the assembly described above.

While in the embodiments described above the polyethylene films used as the binding material have been shown as positioned on the binding surface, it is also possible that as shown in FIG. 8 polyethylene films 44 and 45 are placed on the outer sides of the hook-holding fabric bodies 42 and 43 and these are then folded to provide folded fabric portions 42a and 43a covering the polyethylene films 44 and 45, and when in this condition, they are then pressed and heated so that the molten polyethylene will permeate the fabric bodies'42 and 43 as far as the opposed surfaces of the fabric bodies, whereby the two fabric bodies can be bound together.

As shown, it is also possible that the outer fabric body 43, 43a is recessed to conform to the shape of the wire 16 at the attaching portion 17c of the hook while the inner fabric body 42, 42a is, as described earlier, maintained in a flat condition.

It is also to be noted that the present invention is applicable not only to female hooks but is also applicabl to male hooks.

In FIG. 9, the concept of the invention is applied to the attachment of a male hook 47 having an upstanding hook portion 46. In this assembly, the front edges 48a and 49a of fabric bodies 48 and 49 with an attaching portion 47a interposed therebetween must lie in alignment with each other. The male hook 47 projects beyond said front edges. The reference numeral 4% designates the folded piece of the fabric body 49. The folded piece 49b and the fabric body 49 are firmly bound together by a binding layer 52 which is the molten united body of the polyethylene films 50 and 51.

The folded piece 4% and the fabric body 49 are bound together by the permeation of a portion of the molten polyethylene film 51. This is also the case with the structure shown in FIG. 4, and in which the folded piece is finally bound to the fabric body to form a unitary body. If, however, a polyethylene film is interposed in advance between the folded piece and the fabric body thereon, the binding can be more firmly effected.

In FIG. 10 there is shown the method for assembling the male hooks with a fabric body which is first folded upon itself as at 53 and 54, is then folded again and an aperture 56 is formed in the overlying area 55 thereof, through which the male hook portion 46 is projected. The attaching portion 47a of the male hook is interposed between the folded fabric layers and a polyethylene film 57 is placed on the inner surface of the inner fabric layer 54 so as to entirely cover said inner surface. The whole structure is then pressed and heated to melt the polyethylene film 57. In this arrangement, the fabric portion 53b extending from the free end 53a of the outer fabric layer 53 to the folded area 55 is placed outside a pair of pressing and heating molds, while the fabric portion 54a adjacent to said fabric portion 53b is rec ssed toward the fabric layers 53 and 54 so as to conform to the shape of the attaching portion 47a. Thus, when it is desired to attach the hook-equipped structure to a garment, the edge of the garment is interposed between the three-layer fabric end portion 58 (as viewed to the left of FIG. 10) and the single-layer fabric end portion 530, whereupon the structure may be affixed to the garment by sewing or any other suitable means. It will be apparent that as provided for earlier, both the front and rear surfaces will be smooth.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, polyethylene films are utilized as the binding material, but other suitable thermoplastic resin films may be used. Alternatively, binding materials which are in a liquid or powder form at ordinary temperatures are also contemplated.

It is also considered to be a part of the teaching of this invention that if a synthetic resin is locally fixed to a fabric body in advance by heating and pressing or other suitable means, the production is further facilitated. Even if such synthetic film is placed on the outside of the fabric body, the molten resin can be caused to penetrate through the fabric texture to appear on the fabric surface facing the interposed fastening members so that the intended effect also can be achieved.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the hookequipped structure and the method of producing the same according to the invention are suitable for application particularly to brassieres and that the invention removes all the drawbacks inherent in the conventional art based on any previously known method of sewing.

While preferred embodiments have been described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto since numerous changes in structure and method may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of producing a unitary flexible assembly for subsequent attachment to means forming an element of wearing apparel, including the steps of:

arranging a tape-like fabric element having parallel longitudinal edges and positioning a resinous film strip in overlying relation thereon,

placing an aligned series of fastening members having attaching portions of substantially planar shape in spaced relation along an edge portion of the film strip with portion of said fastening members extending beyond said edge portion and onto said fabric element, and said attaching portions extending over said edge portion,

assembling a laminate of resinous film and fabric having an edge portion over and in alignment with the aforesaid edge of the film strip, and

applying heat and pressure to opposed sides of the assembly of elements to form a unitary flexible structure.

2. A method of producing a unitary flexible assembly for subsequent attachment to means forming an element of wearing apparel, including the steps of:

arranging an elongated strip-like fabric element having parallel edges on a planar surface,

placing an aligned series of fastening members having attaching portions of substantially planar shape in spaced relation along one of the parallel edges of said fabric element with said attaching portions extending thereover and with a portion of said fastening members extending therebeyond,

assembling a laminate of resinous film and fabric over said attaching portions of the fastening members, and applying heat and pressure to opposed sides of the assembly elements to form a unitary flexible structure.

3. A method of producing a unitary flexible assembly for subsequent attachment to means forming an element of wearing apparel, including the steps of:

arranging an elongated strip-like fabric element having parallel longitudinal edges on a surface,

placing an aligned series of fastening members having attaching portions of substantially planar shape in spaced relation along the edge portion of the fabric strip with a portion of said fastening members extending beyond said edge portion and said attaching portions extending over said edge portion,

assembling another strip of fabric material having an edge portion over a portion of the fastening members, distributing a liquified resinous material to the laminated fabric sheets, and

applying heat and pressure to opposed sides of the assembly elements to form a unitary flexible structure.

4. A method of producing a unitary flexible assembly as claimed in claim 1, the further step including:

placing a second series of fastening elements having attaching portions of substantially planar shape on the resinous film strip with portions thereof arranged to overlie a portion of the first-named laminate,

depositing a second laminate over the resinous film strip so as to cover a portion of said fastening members, and

applying heat and pressure to opposed sides of the fabric element and the second laminate to form a unitary flexible structure.

5. A method of producing a unitary flexible assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said film strip is locally afiixed to said fabric element in advance of assembling the fastening members therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 0 LELAND A. SEBASTIAN, Primary Examiner S. HEIJLMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

*;g;;g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 7 ,75 Dated April 20, 1971 Inventor s) 'I'akashi Sakamoto' It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 3, line 26, "inserted between the folds of the tape 1 should read --put onto the exposed surfac of the folded piece l8a-- Col. 4, line 47, "take" should read --tape-- Col. 5, line 61, "the single-layer fabric end portion 53c" should read --end portion 530 of the sing fabric layer 53b-- Col. 6, line 28, --a-- should be inserted before "portion" Signed and sealed this 28th day of December 1 971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.F'LETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner of Pat 

